PostTime：5/27/2023
This summer, the Class of 2023 will graduate from Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT). They have big dreams and thirst for knowledge; they keep their eyes on the stars, but feet on the ground. The young "Aspirants" grow from GTIIT to a wider world. Let's follow the interview series of the graduates from the Class of 2023 to know their stories.
In GTIIT, he met and fell in love with mathematics when studying dual degrees; in GTIIT, he enjoyed the top academic resources and successfully completed a research project at the master's level. From GTIIT undergraduate study to Maryland PhD study, he achieved his dream of science. Let's meet Huang Ruixi, an excellent student from Class of 2023.
An Explorer, A Research
"I am an explorer," said Huang, "I would rather prefer a road less travelled." He chose to be one of the first cohort of GTIIT students in 2017, pursued a dual degree with two more years of study, and took courage to try three different research projects during his six years in GTIIT.
Huang fell in love with the life in GTIIT soon after he came here. "GTIIT provides nearly every student with equal opportunities and resources, so we don't compete with each other, but only break through ourselves. This would truly benefit my study and personal development," he said.
GTIIT offers its students abundant high-quality resources, as well as freedom to realize their potential, making it possible for Huang to keep trying many new areas and reorient himself from time to time.
Huang met difficulties in his first research project, but on the other side, it also enriched him with experience as a researcher. Under the strict requirements of his mentor, he gradually adapted to the way of actively looking for problems and solving them in a systematic way. He never stopped by the failure, but continued to challenge himself.
Recommended by a GTIIT professor, Huang joined a research project in another research institute. After the research, he set the goal of carrying out research in theoretical computer science in the future, and sought for research training in the related field.
Under the guidance of the professor from the Technion, Huang participated in a project of deep learning, and finally succeeded. "I independently completed a project of the master’s level in just two months, which gave me great confidence that I had mastered the basic methods of doing scientific research." After three research experience in different directions, Huang found his "true love" is the theoretical direction, so he planned to continue it along this one.
My Story with Math in GTIIT
Since 2020, GTIIT offers an opportunity for undergraduates with excellent academic performance and adequate time to study for a dual degree of the Technion.
Not being the top math student in high school, Huang never expected himself to study math in undergraduate studies and could never imagine that he would be led to the path of pursuing a PhD in mathematics.
"What kind of students would be suitable for studying math?" "The one who loves challenges!"
In his high-school years, Huang always spent a long time trying to solve difficult problems, and most importantly, he really enjoyed the process. In his opinion, it is not very appropriate to judge a student's math talents by scores. "I think if you are curious about math problems, and are willing to spend a long time solving complex problems, and enjoy the process, then you can try to study math, no matter whether you got high scores in the Gaokao math test or not."
Huang with Prof. Eli Aljadeff, GTIIT MCS Program Head
Huang also would like to share his learning experience with other students who want to study math for their undergraduate studies. In his opinion, college math is completely different from high school math. Computation and technique are more required in the high school, while college mathematics will gradually become abstract, especially logical thinking. "Sometimes it takes several hours or even a day to finish an assignment in GTIIT, which is a completely different way of learning in high school,” Huang shared.
Dual Degree, Double Experienc
During six years of study in GTIIT, what impressed Huang most was the University’s education of stimulating students’ thirst for knowledge and curiosity about the world. “From Materials and Science Engineering Program, to Mathematics with Computer Science Program, I found myself more and more interested in math and physics, and had an increasingly stronger desire to explore the world of science,” said Huang.
Huang benefited greatly from GTIIT’s enlightening teaching. He remembered that the teachers would introduce the basic concepts and then extend to the applications in other disciplines and fields, enlightening them to explore by themselves in GTIIT’s courses. In this way, GTIIT students would keep thinking and try to find the answers, meet more knowledge and more questions on the way, and finally form the habit of exploring and studying for their whole life. “I won’t leave the knowledge behind even after graduation from GTIIT. Instead, I keep the knowledge and the good habit with me, to further study,” Huang considered it as the benefit of a successful education.
Huang felt that the first two years of studying Materials Science and Engineering equipped him with a cross-discipline view and a broader knowledge base to study math. He recommended the other GTIIT students to study a dual degree in engineering and math, which would help them understand abstract math concepts. “From the application to the theory, a dual degree study helped me travel further,” he said.
In the future, Huang will go to the University of Maryland to pursue a doctoral degree in mathematics with the direction of theoretical computer science. This field, he said, would be a discipline where mathematics and computer science intersect, which is also widely applicated in many other disciplines. Luckily, his undergraduate study in GTIIT provided him with almost all the pre-requisite knowledge to enter the field. "My undergraduate study in GTIIT has laid a very solid foundation, so I could start my study in the field smoothly!” Huang said.
During the six years of study in GTIIT, Huang reached his full potential and freely explored different interests. He will pursue a higher and further way in the field that he loves most. May he show more talents and achieve dreams in the mathematical world.
Text/ Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs, Huang Ruixi
